Street-indicator



(No Model.)

C. EBY.

STREET INDICATOR.

No. 553,058. Patented Jan. 14, 1896.

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CHARLEY BY, OF ROCKY RIVER, OHIO.

STREET-INDICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 553,058, dated January14, 1896. Application filed August 28, 1895. Serial No. 560,831. (Nomodel To (LU whom t may concern.-

Be it k noWn that I, OHARLEY EBY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Rocky River, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio,have invented a new and useful Electrical Street-Name Machine, of whichthe following is a speciiication.

Myinvention relates to improvements in automatically-operatedstreet-indicators more especially designed for use on cars of electricstreet-railways, wherein the overhead trolleyivire is employed, toindicate the streets that intersect With or cross the street-car line;and my invention pertains more especially to a street-indicator thatcomprises a street-nameloearing belt arranged Within a box or case inany suitable portion of the car, which case or box is provided with aglass or window through which the names of the streets are exhibited,and which belt is operated by power transmitted from the trolley-Wire.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation inlongitudinal section of a portion of a street-car provided with myimproved street-indicator. This figure shows in perspective thetrolley-pole of a car, the trolley-Wire, and one of the cross-wiresinstrumental in supporting the trolley-Wire and located any suitabledistance in advance of a street intersecting with or crossing thestreetcarline. This gure diagrammatically exhibits a small motoremployed in the operation of the street-indicator and located preferablyin suitable proximity to the street-name-bearing belt, and alsoillustrates the apparatus einployed for intermittently operating themotor. Fig. 2 shows in side elevation and vertical section thestreet-name-bearin g belt and the box or case that contains said beltand provided with a glass or Window through which the street names areexhibited. The small motor employed in the operation of thestreet-indicator has only its shaft illustrated in this iiguge, and thisgure shows a ratchet-Wheel operatively mounted upon the motor-shaft, thepawls adapted to engage saidwheel and prevent the latter andconsequently the motorshaft from intermittently turning a Vgreaterdistance than required to actuate the street-name-bearing belt adistance equal to the Width of the space had between two names on thebelt, and the drawing also exhibits an armature operatively connectedwith said pawls and an electromagnet adapted to attract the armature andinstrumental in the operation of the motor.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the trolley-Wire orsupply-conductor of an electric railway wherein the overhead trolleywireor supply-conductor is employed.

B represents a street-car movable upon the track (not shown) of therailway and provided With a trolley-pole and trolley B and B2,respectively, in the usual manner.

D designates one of the cross-Wires that are instrumental in supportingthe trolley-Wire and which cross-Wire is located a suitable distance inadvance of a street intersecting with or crossing` the railuf'ay-line,so that if the 4 street-indicator, with which the car is provided, shallindicate said intersecting or cross street, When the car arrives at theaforesaid cross-Wire, the conductor of the car shall have ample time toeifect the stoppage of the car, if required, by the time it arrives atsaid intersecting or cross street.

My improved street-indicator comprises a box or case E located in anysuitable portion of the car, preferably in the upper portion of theforward end of the car, as shown in Fig. l. Wvithin this case or box issuitably arranged a street-name-bearing belt G, that leads over suitablerollers g, suitably supported Within the box or case. The latter,

in its forward side, is provided With a glass or Window G through whichthe street names are exhibited. One of the rollers operatively engagedby the street-name-bearing belt is operatively connected, in anyapproved manner, with the shaft 71J of a small electric motor H, whichmotor is diagraminatically illustrated in Fig. l, and has its shaftshown in transverse section in Fig. The operative connection between thestreetname-bearing belt and the motor-shaft consists preferably of asprocket-Wheel G2 operatively connected With one of the belt-engagingrollers and opera-tively connected by means of a chain or belt I, With asprocket- Wheel h operatively mounted upon the motorshaft. The motor isoperated intermittently, as hereinafter described, and I would alsoremark that the parts are so arranged and timed that thestreet-name-bearing belt shall IOO be actuated a distance equal to thewidth of the space had between two street names during each intermittentoperation of the motor. Suitable means for arresting the operation ofthe motor, therefore, immediately upon the actuation of thestreet-name-bearing belt a distance equal to the width of the spacebetween two street names upon said belt is provided, and comprisespreferably a ratchet-wheel K operatively mounted upon the motor-shaft,and two pawls L and M adapted to engage the spaces between the teeth ofthe ratchet-wheel at almost diametrically-opposite points, respectively,of said wheel. Wheel K, and consequently the motor-shaft, are adapted tomove only in the one direction, and means for preventing movement orcircumferential displacement of said parts in the opposite direction isprovided, and consists preferably of a ratchetwheel O operativelymounted upon the motorshaft and adapted to be engaged by asuitablysupported pawl l. A spring Q acts in the direction to retainpawl P in engagement with ratchet-wheel O, and the latter andengaging-pawl are of course suitably arranged f to prevent rotation orcircumferential displacement of the motor-shaft and wheel K in adirection opposite to the direction in which said wheel and motor-shaftrotate in the operation of the machine. The arrangement of ratchet-wheelK and pawls L and M is, of course, such that the moveme-nt of saidwheel, and consequently the movement of the motor-shaft, shall bearrested when either of said pawls engage the wheel. Pawls L and M areintegral or rigid with each other and are horizontally pivoted orfulcrumed at N to any suitable support. An armature R is operativelyconnected and preferably rigid with pawls L and M, preferably at thejunction of said pawls. Armature R is adapted to be attracted by anelectromagnet S when the latter is energized. Magnet S is supported inany approved manner. One terminal Of said magnet is electricallyconnected by means of a suitable wire or electric-current conductor S',with a contact S2 suitably supported from the upper portion of thetrolley-pole. Contact S2 is yieldingly supported from the upper portionof the trolley-pole and is shown rigid with a spring-arm b' of thetrolley-pole. Contact S2 is electricallyinsulated from itssupporting-arm, as at b2. The other terminal of the magnet iselectrically connected by means of a suitable wire or electric-currentconductor H' with the one terminal of the electric motor, whose otherterminal is electrically connected by a line H2 in any approved mannerwith the ground or return conductor. Contact S2 is adapted toelectrically engage a contact A' electrically connected with thetrolley-wire and supported from the trolley-wire supporting' cross-wirein suitable proximity to the trolley-wire. Contact A' is, of course,insulated from the supporting cross-wire, as at A2. In other words,contact A' is arranged inthe path of contact S2, that, as alreadyindicated, is yieldingly supported from the trolley-pole. lVhen,therefore, contact S2, during the travel of the motor-car, comes intoelectrical engagement with contact A', current will flow from thetrolley-wire to and through and energize the electromagnet, and thenceto and through the small motor employed in the operation of thestreet-indicator. The energizing of the electromagnet will result in theattraction and movement of armature R against the magnet, and therebydisengage pawl L from ratchet-wheel K and permit the intermittentoperation of the motor whose shaft bears said ratchet-wheel. The magnet,however, is only energized during the moment that the moving contact S2traverses the stationary contact A', and hence armature R, by means of asuitably-supported spring T that acts to hold said armature away fromthe magnet, is almost instantly after the energizing of the magnetwithdrawn therefrom, so that pawl L l,

immediately upon disengagement from wheel K will again be actuated intoengagement with said wheel. In fact, the arrangement of parts ispreferably such, as already indicated, that the street-name-bearing beltshall be moved a distance equal to the width of a space between twostreet names during the actuation of ratchet-wheel K a distance equal tothe length of a space between two of the teeth of said wheels so thatpawl L, when it, in the operation of the machine, is operativelydisengaged from a notch in wheel K,will again be thrown into engagementwith the next succeeding notch of said Wheel. Pawl M acts as a guardtoprevent ratchet-wheel K from K pawl M shall be moved into engagementwith said wheel and lock the latter as against movement beyond thedistance required. A suitably-provided spring 'l not only acts to holdthe armature away from the magnet,

but simultaneously acts to retain pawl L in i its locking or operativeposition and to retain pawl M in its inoperative position.

Magnet S, armature R, pawls L and M, and motor H are all convenientlysupported by a shaft WV, secured to the street-indicator-bear- T ingwall of the car, as shown.

Vhat I claim isl. The combination with the supply-conductor andmotor-car of an electric-railway,

and suitably supported street-name-bearingi belt, of an electric motoroperatively connected with the belt, a toothed wheel K operativelyconnected with the motor, a pawl L adapted to engage the spaces betweenthe teeth of said Wheel and limit the operation of the motor, meansacting to retain said paivl in engagement with the Wheel and to retainthe armature disengaged from the magnet, an armature rigid with saidpawl, an electroniagnet adapted to attract the armature and having oneof its terminals electrically connected with one of the terminals of themotor, a contact S2 suitably supported from the car and electricallyconnected with the other terminal of the magnet, and another stationarycontact A arranged in the path of contact S2 and electrically connectedwith the power-conductor, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination. with the trolley-Wire, motor-car, trolleypole, andsuitably supported street-name-bearing-belt, of an electric motoroperatively connected with the belt, a toothed-Wheel K operativelyconnected with the motor, a pawl L adapted to engage the spaces betweenthe teeth of said wheel and limit the operation of the motor, meansacting to retain said pawl in engagement With the Wheel and to ret-ainthe armature disengaged from the magnet, an armature operativelyconnected with said pawl, an electroinagnet adapted to attract thearmature and having one of its terminals electrically con-v nected withone of the terminals of the motor, a contact S2 suitably supported fromthe trolley-pole and electrically connected with the other terminal ofthe magnet, and another stationary contact A arranged in the path ofcontact S2 and electrically connected with the trolley-wire,substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with the trolley-Wire A,

motor-car, trolley-pole B', and streetname bearing belt, of theelectric-motor H arranged Within an electric circuit and operativelyconnected with the aforesaid belt, the toothed Wheel K, pawls L and M,armature R, spring T, magnet S having one of its terminals electricallyconnected with one of the terminals of the motor, contact S2 suitablysupported from the trolley-pole and electrically connected with theother terminal of the magnet, and stationary contact A' electricallyconnected with the trolleywire, all arranged and operatingsubstantiallyas shown, for the purpose specified.

il. The combinationwith the trolleywire A, the stationary contact A'electrically engaging the trolley-Wire, the m0tor-car, the trolley-poleB provided with the spring-arm b, and street-nanie-bearing belt suitablysupported Within the car, of the motor H arranged Within anelectric-circuit and operatively connected With the aforesaid belt, thetoothed-wheel K, paWls L and M, armature R, spring T, magnet S havingone of its terminals electrically connected with the motor, and thecontact S2 supported but electrically insulated from the aforesaidtrolley-pole-arm and electrically connected with the other terminal ofthe magnet, all arranged and operating substantially as shown, for thepurpose specified.

@HARLEY EBY.

l/Vitnesses AMELIA EBY, JOSEPH EBY.

